Antidepressants

[Guest]

Antidepressants

Em, I have both Xanax and Valium. Xanax because of anxiety, I can't sleep without it. Valium when I'm having a really rough day. I rarely take the valium and no it dosen't increase the urge to drink. Xanax doesn't effect me that way either but, heavens it is hard to come off of. I had zoloft in the past That stuff made every bone in my body ache. I just talked to my daughter. Boy, do I need a valium now.
Mar

[Piddypat]

Antidepressants

Hi Em,
I have been on antidepressants most of my life (Now taking Cymbalta 60 mg a day). Funny I nver thought about the connection either. After all, when they prescribe anti depressants, they suggest "do not mix with alcohol". Sure...

I want to try the topamax but am concerned about mixing the two. I was going to order it off the internet because I don't feel comfortable asking my doctor about it. Anybody have any suggestions?

[dayzee]

Antidepressants

antidepressants

hi em
i think there is too. i was on 350mg of effexor a few years ago for depression, i think ive drank more after than before. I was on that dose for like 3 yrs. It took me a year to wean down to nothing and i was very jittery. so i now take 12.5 mg. (1/2 pill)
One thing i find to be true about effexor and drinking is- it HORRIBLY magnifies depression the next day. along with bad feelings for drinking at all its 10 x worse.

I got GABA and L-glutamine yesterday and they work awesome--
I am very excited to have something that can calm me so fast-
eventually I am nixing effexor altogether.

Have you had word loss on effexor- very embarassing!

[giles123]

Antidepressants

Tricky one

In my experience:

Having a drink whilst on AD's is very bad news and is a lot harder to recover from than if you were unmedicated.

The alcohol rapidly flushes out all the AD's in the system and ends up making you feel much worse, which then (as alcoholics do) forces the urges to drink to be stronger.. which inevitably leads to more drinking and a vicious cycle.
Of course it's a lot more complicated than this but you know..

As all the instructions say though - don't drink on AD's! Guess what? I couldn't hold up to this and my worst behaviour was always when I've been on AD's and drinking so hey..

But really, if you know you're going to be drinking on AD's then perhaps you should consider coming off them.. but if you're strong enough and have enough support mechanisms to defeat the cravings and the anxiety and or depression is affecting you then stick with the AD's..

To the person who's doctor said that Citalopram was the newest AD on the market - it's actually been around for years and the next "update" if you like on that drug by Lundbeck was Lexapro which I found to be more well tolerated and better with my anxiety.. I've also been on Avanza, Zoloft, cipramil (which is citalopram) and another I can't remember right now.

That's my experience and advice..

Cheers,
Giles

[goingsobermum]

Antidepressants

PiddyPat,

I found a site which tells you about drug interactions.
Drug Interactions
It said cymbalta/topamax was a moderate interaction and the following.
Drug-Drug Interactions
topiramate and duloxetine (Moderate Drug-Drug)

MONITOR: Central nervous system- and/or respiratory-depressant effects may be additively or synergistically increased in patients taking multiple drugs that cause these effects, especially in elderly or debilitated patients.

MANAGEMENT: During concomitant use of these drugs, patients should be monitored for potentially excessive or prolonged CNS and respiratory depression. Ambulatory patients should be made aware of the possibility of additive CNS effects (e.g., drowsiness, dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion) and counseled to avoid activities requiring mental alertness until they know how these agents affect them. Patients should also be advised to notify their physician if they experience excessive or prolonged CNS effects that interfere with their normal activities.

It would be worth talking to a doc before making the decision.
Suz

[giles123]

Antidepressants

To piddypat

PiddyPat,

BTW I am now on Lexapro and was also reluctant about asking for Campral. However the doc said it's fine (which I know doesn't mean a thing.) But, I can honestly say there has been no noticeable interactions between the meds and everything is really really good at the moment (with the campral).

I am very in tune with any interactions that my mind/body has with the Lexapro so I can safely suggest that this is a top medication that hasn't interaction adversely in my experience..

Cheers,
Giles

[Piddypat]

Antidepressants

Suz,
Thank you for taking the time to send me that info! I went to your blogspot and enjoyed reading about you and your lovely family. I am much older than you, and when I was pregnant with my children, we drank like fish. Now Dr.'s say no alchohol while pregnant. I read a book about a famous woman golfer who had 12 kids. She could stop drinking for the whole 9 months and then would start right back up again. Her book ended with her going AF because it was killing her. Anyway, keep up the blogspot. It is great. Again, thank you for letting me know about the topa. I've just got to find a dr. I can talk to.

[Piddypat]

Antidepressants

Giles,
thanks for the info. aprreciate it.

[Determinator]

Antidepressants

I think I read on one of RJ's newsletters that citalopram is being seriously studied as an aid for folks going AF and the NIAAA is spearheading a $2Mil study on it. It appears to be working great for me in conjunction with Campral...no serious side effects at all. I just wish campral was cheaper since I'm out-of-pocket on it without insurance.

[giles123]

Antidepressants

how much does campral cost over there?

Determinator - How much does Campral cost where you come from? The U.S?

Giles

[Determinator]

Antidepressants

Hi Giles, it costs me about 130.00 $USD for a month

[goingsobermum]

Antidepressants

Hi PiddyPat,
Thanks for you comments about my blog. I've got a bit behind with it I've been feeling so sick, but your comments have inspired me to get going again, thanks. I have virtually stopped drinking, just a small beer or glass of wine some nights. The first scan helped as I could see and hear the baby.
Suz

[giles123]

Antidepressants

Campral is cheaper in Australia I guess..

I guess we're quite lucky in Australia as the government provides a subsidy for the cost of the medication.

I think the full cost is around $200 per month here which comes down to about $30 after the subsidy.

I must say though I have had such extraordinary results with it that I would be paying the full cost without a qualm even if it wasn't available through this scheme.. If I were out there drinking I'd be gambling, smoking and going through vodka and whisky like it was out of fashion and getting myself into debt so I guess that's the way I'd look at it.

Cheers for now

Giles